The Cornell Big Red women's ice hockey program represents Cornell University and participates in Division I collegiate hockey in the ECAC Hockey conference. They play at the Lynah Rink in Ithaca, New York.
The Ivy League announced in July 2020 that they would suspend play for all sports, including women's ice hockey, in the Fall 2020, due to the Coronavirus outbreak. Athletics resumed in fall of 2021.
History The Cornell women's hockey program was started in 1971. It would only be in 1972 that the team would play its first game; it was a 4–3 victory over Scarborough. In 1972, they played eight games and lost four. In addition, the Big Red lost twice to the Pandas's program.
In 1976, Brown hosted the first ever Ivy League women's ice hockey tournament. Cornell bested Brown, Princeton and Yale to win the tournament.
On March 7, 2010, sophomore Kendice Ogilvie beat Clarkson goaltender Lauren Dahm at 7:52 mark in overtime. With the victory, Cornell won its first ECAC Tournament, and earns its first trip to the NCAA Frozen Four.
On March 13, 2010, Cornell defeated the Crimson by a score of 6–2 to earn its first ever trip to the NCAA Frozen Four. At the 2010 Frozen Four championship game, Cornell goaltender Amanda Mazzotta set a record for most saves in an NCAA Championship game with 61 saves. The former record holder was Bulldog goaltender Patricia Sautter. She had the old record of 41 set in 2003.
On January 7 and 8, 2011, Cornell freshman goaltender Lauren Slebodnik earned two shutouts in her first two career starts. On January 7, she made her NCAA debut by shutting out Yale by a 5–0 margin. With Cornell dressing just 12 skaters, she stopped all 23 Yale shots. The following night, Slebodnik shut out the Brown Bears by a 3–0 mark. Cornell only dressed 11 skaters for the game and she stopped all 15 shots.
In Jillian Saulnier's college debut versus the Colgate Raiders on October 25, she netted four goals. In her first three career NCAA games, she registered ten points (seven goals, three assists), along with a +6 rating. Her four-goal night was the first for Cornell since Jessica Campbell scored four against Robert Morris in the second game of the 2010–11 season. She scored her first career goal when she was out on the Big Red's first power play of the game. In her next game versus the Yale Bulldogs, she registered one goal and two assists, while scoring two goals in her third game versus the Brown Bears squad. For the month of October 2011, she was tied for first in the ECAC in goals scored (while the other player appeared in eight games). In a game on November 1, 2011, the Cornell Big Red scored at least nine goals in one game for the third consecutive contest. It was senior captain Chelsea Karpenko's 100th career game, as Saulnier led all Big Red players with two goals and three assists in a 9–2 triumph over the Syracuse Orange.
The Big Red had a standout year in 2019, finishing the season atop the standings in the ECAC. They lost in the ECAC championship game against Clarkson.
In 2020, Cornell finished first in the ECAC for the second year in a row, with an undefeated season in conference play at 19-0-3 (28-2-3 overall). They dominated the league and had an unbeaten streak of 22 games from November 30, 2019 to March 7, 2020. The Big Red easily won their 15th Ivy League championship. In the ECAC tournament, Cornell beat perennial rival Harvard Crimson in the semi-final by a score of 4-0. In a surprising upset in the championship game, they lost in overtime to the Princeton Tigers by a score of 3-2. Jessie Eldridge finished the season fourth in the ECAC in points, with 43, followed by her teammate Kristin O'Neil, who tallied 41 points on the year. Izzy Daniel won Ivy League Rookie of the Year. Lindsay Browning, the Big Red's junior goalie, won Ivy League Player of the Year honors, and the MAC Goaltending Goalie of the Year. Jaime Bourbonnais won Ivy League Best Defenseman honors, and was selected as a First Team All-American. Head Coach Doug Derraugh was recognized with two Coach of the Year awards: the Ivy League Coach of the Year (his fourth in a row) and the ECAC Hockey Coach of the Year (second in a row).
Cornell earned a berth in the 2020 NCAA women's ice hockey tournament, but the event was cancelled due to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. In July 2020, the Ivy League announced there would be no league play in the fall of 2020, due to continuing concerns about health. Cornell, along with fellow Ivy League teams Harvard, Brown, Dartmouth, Princeton and Yale, resumed athletics in the fall of 2021.
The new Toronto Six Women's National Hockey League team signed Cornell alumna Amy Curlew in 2020.
Year by year Won ChampionshipLost ChampionshipRegular Season Conference Champions
Year Coach W L T Conference Conf. W Conf. L Conf. T Points Conference Rank Conf. Tournament NCAA Tournament1996–97 Julie Anderberhan 13 15 1 ECAC 11 10 1 23 7th Lost Quarterfinals vs. Providence Tournament did not exist1997–98 Julie Anderberhan 15 8 3 ECAC 14 5 3 31 5th Lost Quarterfinals vs. Brown Tournament did not exist1998–99 Carol Mullins 15 16 0 ECAC 14 12 0 28 8th Lost Quarterfinals vs. Harvard Tournament did not exist1999–2000 Carol Mullins 13 14 1 ECAC 9 14 1 19 10th — Tournament did not exist2000–01 Carol Mullins 10 18 1 ECAC 7 16 1 15 11th — —2001–02 Carol Mullins 9 18 1 ECAC 7 8 1 15 6th Lost Quarterfinals vs. St. Lawrence —2002–03 Melody Davidson 4 21 2 ECAC 2 12 2 6 8th Lost Quarterfinals vs. Harvard —2003–04 Melody Davidson 7 21 2 ECAC 3 15 0 6 8th Lost Quarterfinals vs. Harvard —2004–05Melody Davidson 3 22 3 ECAC 3 16 1 7 9th — —2005–06 Doug Derraugh 9 18 1 ECAC 5 15 0 10 Tied 9th — —2006–07 Doug Derraugh 4 23 2 ECAC 4 17 1 9 11th — —2007–08Doug Derraugh 12 17 1 ECAC 9 12 1 19 8th Lost Quarterfinals vs. Harvard —2008–09 Doug Derraugh 12 14 5 ECAC 8 9 5 21 8th Lost Quarterfinals vs. Harvard —2009–10 Doug Derraugh 21 9 6 ECAC 14 2 6 34 1st Won Quarterfinals vs. Colgate Won Semifinals vs. RPI Won Championship vs. Clarkson Won Quarterfinals vs. Harvard Won Semifinals vs. Mercyhurst Lost Championship vs. 2010–11 Doug Derraugh 31 3 1 ECAC 20 1 1 41 1st Won Quarterfinals vs. RPI Won Semifinals vs. Quinnipiac Won Championship vs. Dartmouth Won Quarterfinals vs. Dartmouth Lost Semifinals vs. Boston College 2011–12 Doug Derraugh 30 5 0 ECAC 20 2 0 40 1st Won Quarterfinals vs. Brown Won Semifinals vs. Quinnipiac Lost Championship vs. St. Lawrence Won Quarterfinals vs. Boston University Lost Semifinals vs. Minnesota 2012–13 Doug Derraugh 27 6 1 ECAC 18 3 1 37 1st Won Quarterfinals vs. Colgate Won Semifinals vs. St. Lawrence Won Championship vs. Harvard Lost Quarterfinals vs. Mercyhurst 2013–14Doug Derraugh 24 6 4 ECAC 15 4 3 33 3rd Won Quarterfinals vs. Princeton Won Semifinals vs. Harvard Won Championship vs. Clarkson Lost Quarterfinals vs. Mercyhurst 2014–15 Doug Derraugh 19 11 3 ECAC 14 6 2 30 Tied 4th Won Quarterfinals vs. St. Lawrence Won Semifinals vs. Clarkson Lost Championship vs. Harvard —2015–16 Doug Derraugh 13 14 4 ECAC 9 9 4 22 7th Lost Quarterfinals vs. Clarkson —2016–17 Doug Derraugh 20 9 5 ECAC 13 4 5 31 3rd Won Quarterfinals vs. Colgate Won Semifinals vs. St. Lawrence Lost Championship vs. Clarkson Lost Quarterfinals vs. Clarkson 2017–18 Doug Derraugh 21 9 3 ECAC 15 5 2 32 3rd Won Quarterfinals vs. Princeton Lost Semifinals vs. Colgate —2018–19 Doug Derraugh 24 6 6 ECAC 17 3 2 36 1st Won Quarterfinals vs. RPI Won Semifinals vs. Princeton Lost Championship vs. Clarkson Won Quarterfinals vs. Northeastern Lost Frozen Four vs. Minnesota 2019–20 Doug Derraugh 28 2 3 ECAC 19 0 3 41 1st Won Quarterfinals vs. St. Lawrence University Won Semifinals vs. Harvard Lost Championship vs. Princeton Cancelled due to 2020 Coronavirus pandemic in the United States2021-22Doug Derraugh14142ECAC1282386thLost Quarterfinals vs. Colgate —2022-23Doug Derraugh16142ECAC129139.55thLost Quarterfinals vs. Clarkson —2023-24Doug Derraugh2581ECAC175339.54th Won Quarterfinals vs. Quinnipiac Lost Semifinals vs. Cogate Won Regional Quarterfinal vs. Stonehill College Lost Regional Quarterfinal vs. Colgate 2024-2025 Doug Derraugh 25 4 5 ECAC 16 2 4 54 1st Won Quarterfinals vs. Union Won Semifinals vs. Clarkson Won Championship vs. Colgate Won Quarterfinals vs. Minnesota-Duluth Lost Semifinal vs. Ohio State
Ivy League Champions: (18) 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981*, 1990, 1996, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013*, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2024, 2025, 2026
* denotes shared title
Series records School Lead Harvard Crimson Harvard leads, 56–34–6 Dartmouth Big Green Dartmouth leads, 42–40–7
Roster 2025–26 Big Red As of October 29, 2025.
Notable players Rebecca Johnston Digit Murphy Johnston was the first Big Red player to be named first-team ECAC Hockey and receive rookie of the year honors. She has also been named first-team All-Ivy and Ivy League Rookie of the Year. In the 2008–09 season, Johnston's 37 point total (by mid-February) were the most points in a season for Cornell since the 1991–92 campaign (Kim Ratushny with 21 goals and 17 assists). Johnston's 37-point total in mid-February led the entire ECAC league in overall points. She was also second in the league and sixth in the NCAA in points per game with 1.85. In the 2008–09 season, Johnston's 37-point total were the most points in a season for Cornell since the 1991–92 campaign (Kim Ratushny with 21 goals and 17 assists). During the 2008–09 season, freshman Catherine White was second on the team in scoring (34 points). White has recorded the most points by a rookie since Dana Antal (36 points, 17 goals, 19 assists) in the 1995–96 season. Cyndy Schlaepfer holds the school record for points in a season with 89 during the 1976–77 season. Megan Shull joined the Big Red in 1987. Her on-ice career shortened by injury, Shull went on to become a children's book author. While earning her doctorate at Cornell, Shull created, The Cub Club, a mentoring program matching local girls' ice hockey players with members of the Cornell Big Red women's ice hockey team. The Cub Club still thrives today.
Olympians Dana Antal, Team Canada 2002 Olympics - Gold Medal Rebecca Johnston, Team Canada 2010 Olympics and 2014 Olympics - Gold Medal, 2018 Olympics - Silver Medal Laura Fortino, Team Canada 2014 Olympics - Gold Medal, 2018 Olympics Silver Medal Brianne Jenner, Team Canada 2014 Olympics - Gold Medal, 2018 Olympics - Silver Medal Lauriane Rougeau, Team Canada 2014 Olympics - Gold Medal, 2018 Olympics- Silver Medal Jillian Saulnier, Team Canada 2018 Olympics - Silver Medal
Former head coach Melody Davidson was head coach of Canada's gold medal winning women's Olympic hockey teams in 2006 and 2010.
Awards and honors Dianna Bell, 2002 Sarah Devens Award Brooke Bestwick, Defense, 2002 ECAC North Second Team Lindsay Browning, 2019–20 Ivy League Player of the Year Izzy Daniel, 2019–20 Ivy League Rookie of the Year Izzy Daniel, 2023–24 Patty Kazmaier Award Devon Facchinato, 2021 ECAC Mandi Schwartz Student-Athlete of the Year Laura Fortino, Defense, Freshman, 2010 First Team All-Ivy Laura Fortino, 2010 ECAC All-Rookie Team Rebecca Johnston, Ivy League Rookie of the Year 2007–08, Cornell (Freshman), Unanimous selection Rebecca Johnston, First Team All-Ivy League, 2007–08, Forward, Cornell (Freshman) Rebecca Johnston, 2009 First Team All-ECAC Chelsea Karpenko, Forward, Sophomore, 2010 Second Team All-Ivy Chelsea Karpenko, 2011 ECAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player Amanda Mazzotta, ECAC Defensive Player of the Week (Week of November 2, 2009) Amanda Mazzotta, Goaltender, Sophomore, 2010 First Team All-Ivy Kristin O'Neill, 2018 Ivy League Player of the Year Award Kendice Ogilvie, 2010 ECAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player Lauriane Rougeau, Defense, Freshman, 2010 First Team All-Ivy Lauriane Rougeau, 2010 Ivy League Rookie of the Year Lauriane Rougeau, 2010 ECAC All-Rookie Team Jillian Saulnier, ECAC Rookie of the Month (Month of October 2011)